Great contributions to the revolutionary cause

(Baonghean) -Although comrade Le Hong Phong's life was short, less than 40 years (1902-1942), he set a shining example of communist integrity and made great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and our nation.

As early as 1924, the young man from the countryside and the hard-working worker was sharp and brave, along with 10 other young people, despite hardships and dangers, went to Thailand, then to Guangzhou (China) to meet leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, to find a way to save the country. After the organization Tam Tam Xa, also known as Tan Viet Thanh Nien Doan, was established, Le Hong Phong quickly became one of the 9 core members of the organization Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, the predecessor of the Party. A typical feature is that during this time of youth, when introduced and sent to study by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, he studied with all his heart to serve the Fatherland later (he studied at the Whampoa Military School, Guangzhou Air Force School, Soviet Air Force School; he was an excellent student of the Communist International's Oriental Communist Labor University). All the theoretical knowledge he learned was creatively applied by him to the revolutionary path and methods for the country later. At the same time, he also set a shining example of both patriotism and proletarian internationalism (joining the Soviet Red Army with the rank of Air Force Lieutenant Colonel).

Comrade Le Hong Phong's great contributions were very important to the revolutionary cause of the Party. In the years 1931-1932, when the revolutionary movement in our country was bloodily suppressed by the French imperialists, causing losses to the Party, especially in the Nghe - Tinh Soviet region. In the situation where most of the Party's bases were broken, patriots were arrested and imprisoned, and people were confused about their ideal future, comrade Le Hong Phong and a number of other comrades overseas sought to contact the Party organization in the country to gradually restore the movement under the light of the Party's action program.



Memorial house of General Secretary Le Hong Phong in Hung Thong commune, Hung Nguyen.
Photo: Sy Minh.

Since June 1932, the Party's Action Program was recognized by the Communist International. From then on, under the direction of the Communist International, the Overseas Command of the Indochinese Communist Party was established with comrade Le Hong Phong as secretary (Secretary). In reality, the Central Executive Committee in the country was broken, almost paralyzed, so the Overseas Command took on the role of the provisional Central Executive Committee. The Committee was responsible for liaison between the Indochinese Communist Party with the Communist International and other communist parties; reorganizing the work of training cadres for the country, publishing the Bolshevik Journal - the theoretical organ of the Party Central Committee, gathering and restoring party bases, preparing to convene the first Party Congress... All of these tasks were completed thanks to the common efforts of the collective, but the role of comrade Le Hong Phong was of important and decisive significance.

The personal role of comrade Le Hong Phong was further demonstrated from June 16 to 21, 1934, at the Conference of the Overseas Command of the Indochinese Communist Party and representatives of domestic party organizations (including comrades: Le Hong Phong, Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Van Dut, Nguyen Van Tham and Tran Van Chan) which passed the Political Resolution and the Resolution on Organizational Issues. This was an important preparation step for our Party to successfully hold its first Congress in March 1935. The theoretical scope and revolutionary qualities of comrade Le Hong Phong during these years were clearly demonstrated in the high trust of key figures in our Party and their unanimous election of him as General Secretary of the Party, and at the 7th Congress of the Communist International, he was also elected as a member of the Executive Committee.

Comrade Le Hong Phong's role became even more prominent in the years 1936 - 1939. As a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, he and a number of comrades in the Central Committee of our Party convened and chaired the National Conference of the Party (July 1936) in Shanghai. This conference decided to change the immediate goals and tasks of our country's revolution, defining the direct goal as fighting against the reactionary colonial regime, against fascism and imperialist war, demanding democracy, people's livelihood and peace. The main immediate enemies of the people of Indochina at this time were the colonial reactionaries and their lackeys; at Le Hong Phong's suggestion, the Conference decided to establish the Indochina Anti-Imperialist People's Front, laying the foundation for the democratic movement that took place throughout the country in the following period.

Not only did he contribute to the theoretical and policy work abroad, but from November 1937, comrade Le Hong Phong secretly returned to the country to work with the bases in Saigon and directly led the revolutionary movement with the Party Central Committee. During this time, although his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Khai had also returned to the country, participated in the Southern Regional Party Committee and was Secretary of the Saigon - Cho Lon City Party Committee, the couple still lived apart, obeyed the Party's discipline, and secretly worked, putting the interests of the Party organization above the interests of the family.

As a member of the Central Standing Committee, comrade Le Hong Phong and the Party Central Committee transformed the Anti-Imperialist People's Front into the Democratic Front in order to gather the masses, mobilize all forces to participate in the struggle for freedom of speech, for people's livelihood, democracy and against fascism. Thanks to the correct strategic direction and the serious and creative implementation of the resolution, the domestic struggle movement was restored, and our Party had the conditions to practice mass struggle, especially in urban areas - This was the second general rehearsal, so that when the opportunity came to seize power, as General Secretary Le Duan later assessed and summarized.

Unfortunately, all of Comrade Le Hong Phong's activities were closely monitored by secret agents. On June 22, 1939, he was arrested by the French colonialists in Saigon. Due to insufficient evidence, they sentenced him to 6 months in prison and 3 years of house arrest. After the 6-month prison term expired, they forced him to return to his hometown in Nghe An for monitoring and supervision. In January 1940, Le Hong Phong was arrested for the second time and imprisoned in the Big Prison - Saigon. Knowing that Comrade Le Hong Phong was a high-ranking Party leader, the French colonialists accused him of "bearing spiritual responsibility" for the Southern uprising, sentenced him to 5 years in prison and 10 years of house arrest, exiled him to Con Dao and instructed the island lords to find every way to harm him.

Here, once again, comrade Le Hong Phong set a wonderful example of the indomitable will of a communist. In the context of thousands of party members being brutally tortured in national prisons, comrade Le Hong Phong's example of indomitability and maintaining his fighting spirit truly played a very important role. It gave strength to the struggle and maintained the comrades' faith in the Party's ideals. During the days of solitary confinement in the stone cellar, or in Banh II, where communist prisoners were held, the enemy always sought to torture and brutally beat comrade Le Hong Phong, in order to weaken the spirit and will of the Vietnamese communist leader.

Once, as he was about to pick up his bowl of rice to eat, the prison guards rushed in and beat him up. His bowl of rice was stained red with blood dripping from his head and face, but he remained calm and continued to eat the "bowl of rice covered in blood", with the determination to live in order to "live and fight". Those cruel, savage, and continuous beatings gradually exhausted Le Hong Phong, and he bid farewell to his brothers and comrades at noon on September 6, 1942. Before leaving, he left a message: "Please tell the Party that, until the last moment, Le Hong Phong still firmly believed in the glorious victory of the revolution".

That message of comrade Le Hong Phong is now even more meaningful, making each of us unable to not think seriously when, as the Resolution of the 4th Central Conference stated: “A large number of cadres and party members, including those in leadership and management positions, including some high-ranking cadres, have degraded in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle. There are various manifestations of fading ideals, falling into selfish individualism, opportunism, pragmatism, chasing after fame, money, status, corruption, wastefulness, and lack of principles”.

Reviewing the great contributions and spirit of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the Party and the nation of General Secretary Le Hong Phong has the effect of helping degraded party members to self-correct; for dedicated party members, especially leaders, there is an example to look up to, show gratitude to and follow their predecessors; for each cadre, party member and the masses, remembering the merits and noble, pure and exemplary character of General Secretary Le Hong Phong further creates confidence in true communist party members who are devoted to the glorious cause of the Party.

To Hong Hai